A hot tub improves both physical and mental health

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When you switch off after a busy day or week and start thinking of a bath in a hot tub, your mind will relax and all troubles will be forgotten. At the same time, you can also enjoy the fresh outdoor air if you have spent your day sitting in an office, as many of us do.

Outdoor bathing is often a social occasion where you can spend time together with your spouse or family. Some also invite their neighbours or friends to join in. However, you can well enjoy a hot tub alone. We all need some alone time, and what would be more pleasant than enjoying the peace and quiet while sitting in a hot tub?

Benefits for the heart, the muscles and the joints

There are no official research results on the health benefits of bathing, but the Finnish Institute of Aquatics has studied the use of water for therapeutic purposes.

The heart beats 10–20 beats slower in water, as the hydrostatic pressure of water increases functions such as the venous return from the lower limbs and the abdominal cavity to the thoracic cavity, the stroke volume of the heart, and the amount of blood pumped out by the heart in one beat. The hydrostatic pressure also increases lymph circulation, which in turn reduces the swelling of joints.

In water, the electric activity of muscles is lower and reflexes are reduced, which may help persons suffering from the stiffness or tension of muscles. The density, buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure and flow qualities of water reduce the stress placed on joints and provide a resistance for the movements performed during rehabilitation. Water buoyancy also reduces a person’s weight while in water. Because of these qualities, water is a good environment for everyone who finds movement or exercise on dry land to be restrictive or painful, or who suffer from ailments related to the respiratory or cardiovascular systems.

Naturally, actual water therapy sessions require a pool larger than a hot tub. Nonetheless, the positive effects of water are the same in a hot tub. If you are interested in a hot tub that is large enough to do exercises in, you should take a look at the Grandy minipool.

Use a suitable temperature and stay hydrated

The recommended water temperature for a hot tub is 37 degrees Celsius at a maximum, which is also the normal body temperature. Heat eases pain and makes the body more elastic. It also relaxes you and helps release endorphins into the bloodstream. This in turn slows down your heart rate and lowers blood pressure.

The warmth increases blood circulation and expands the capillaries, which boosts the metabolism, providing cells with more oxygen and nutrients and allowing them to remove impurities more effectively. You should always remember to drink plenty of water after hot tubbing, so that the released impurities are properly excreted out of the body. Insufficient hydration may lead to headaches or neck pains.

If the bathwater is too hot or if you stay in the tub for too long, you may be suffering from dehydration, which is also a good reason to drink plenty of water. If you are bathing in cool or cold weather, you should cover your head with a tub hat or a beanie as you lose a lot of body heat through the head.

Read more about how hot and cold affect the body

Enjoyment comes from cleanliness and health

When bathing in a hot tub, you should take care of both personal hygiene and the cleanliness of the tub. You should shower before entering the tub and, if necessary, also rinse your feet before stepping into the tub. If you are bathing with children who use nappies, we recommend using swim nappies.

If you are using the same water in the tub for a longer time, you should outfit the tub with a suitable filter and use cleaning agents to keep the tub fresh. When you take care of hygiene, bathing is more pleasant for everyone, and you can enjoy carefree bathing again and again.

I wish you good health!

Taina Hujo-Oittinen
Kirami

Keeping your hot tub clean is easy

Easy water hygiene with Kirami